Shakib Al Hasan penalized for offensive gesture, to miss first two games of Asia Cup

Dhaka: Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been suspended for three games and fined 3, 00,000 Bangladeshi taka for making a vulgar gesture on live television. He was caught pointing towards the camera that was focused on him in the players' balcony soon after his dismissal for 24 during the second one-dayer in Dhaka on Thursday.

The suspension means he will miss Saturday’s final one-dayer against Sri Lanka and first two matches of the upcoming Asia Cup in Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) conducted a disciplinary hearing on Friday and decided to ban their star all-rounder, who according to them regretted his actions.

"Shakib has been penalised for breaching the BCB Code of Conduct. He admitted the offence and accepted responsibility for the act," the board said in a statement on Friday.

"Shakib was repentant for the incident and readily accepted that the behavior was unbecoming of a player of his experience and stature. We also reminded him that his action was unacceptable," the statement quoted BCB's acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury as saying.

Sri Lanka have already taken an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series but Shakib's absence from the first two Asia Cup matches against India and Afghanistan next week will be a bigger blow for the hosts.

Shakib, who has played 34 Tests, 131 one-dayers and 28 Twenty20 games, is the senior-most player in the current Bangladesh team.